The USS Ruddy (AM-380) was an Auk-class minesweeper named for the North American ruddy duck. The ship was laid down on 24 February 1944 by the Gulf Shipbuilding Corp., Chickasaw, Alabama; launched on 29 October 1944; commissioned 28 April 1945. It was decommissioned on August 31, 1956, at San Diego, California, and berthed in the Pacific Reserve Fleet.
The United States Navy utilized the most asbestos of any branch of the military. From the 1930s through the early 1980s, asbestos-containing products were routinely utilized aboard all Navy ships. Consequently, veterans of the US Navy are at an increased risk of lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis. Navy veterans who worked in poorly ventilated spaces, such as boiler rooms and engineering spaces, were at significant risk of asbestos exposure. Once asbestos fibers enter the lungs, they have the potential to reside there permanently. These fibers are responsible for causing healthy cells to mutate and become cancerous.
760-621-6147
